The one thing I will say about the following score is that it will take you on quite a ride! Civilization V, composed and developed by Geoff Knorr and Michael Curran, is a soundtrack experience that will take you to a different time and place (quite literally) with its music. The 2-CD collector's edition of the score, which is the one I recommend purchasing if possible, guides you through different, musically rich settings that hit the mark each time. If ever you've had a romanticized outlook toward historical times and a "what if" frame of mind, than this score will appeal to you in all the right ways.

To begin with, I was quite astonished by the level of detail that went into the music. More often than not, traditional game scores, especially those of greater length, offer up more of an atmospheric journey as opposed to robust campaigns. The score in Civilization V, however, never stalls out, even though there was quite a demand place on the amount of underscore the game required. What keeps things interesting here are the cultural expressions translated from existing music heard in each segment. Indeed, there's not a shortcut to be found here as each track was crafted to offer the gamer something unique to enjoy and with a sense of accuracy in mind. What makes it all the more remarkable is that this high quality holds up for a sustained period of time with just a few exceptions of down time. For material to remain interesting at this kind of length speaks volumes about how wonderful it is. And remember, I'm the type of fan who cringes when a score's running time exceeds an hour.

Civilization V won me over early on. In fact, when the melody from Gustav Holst's "Jupiter" was first introduced on Disc 1, I was fending off some serious goose bumps. What an awesome, grand inclusion this was! And this was not mere replay from 1916; The Bringer of Jollity (aka Thaxted) is written into the original score with class and warmth and it was made to feel new again. I always enjoy hearing a convergence between the old world of classical music with that of today's modern scores and it is done quite well here (not just with the Holst instances, there are many others to enjoy as well such as when a bit of Prokofiev is dialed up). A study of the background music alone would make for an interesting documentary, especially when you take a look at how the composers incorporated it. Which leads me to the next point...

What makes this score so likeable is the fact that you, the listener and/or gamer, will not be pinned down to one genre of music. You really get to explore other cultures through music here, which is apt for the game that this score represents. The cohesion of the writing and arrangement is what makes it all work, however, as I was never once sent astray from one era to another. The demeanor, as it were, remains steadfast. This is a great example of how variation can be enjoyed in a given soundtrack without sacrificing the consistency in which the music is built on.

The composers responsible for Civilization V obviously have a passion for their craft. There is no chance of a product turning out this well without some driving, determined effort behind it. The technical merits are also to be applauded given the resources brought together to make this score a reality.

For as much as I was swept into the Civilization V world, I have no reservations about recommending this to you. Enjoy the exploration!